Privacy Statement
The following Privacy Statement will give you details about how the MyQuit program and its partners will keep your personal health information safe. If you are participating in the MyQuit program, you will be asked for personal health information like your name, date of birth, health history and more. It is important to us that your personal health information is kept safe. Please read the information below to find out how we keep your personal health information safe, and how it is used, shared and stored.
About the MyQuit program
The MyQuit program is designed to support anyone interested in quitting smoking or cutting back their tobacco use. The program is free of charge and is delivered by coaches from our network of MyQuit partners who are trained in the latest techniques to help you successfully stop smoking. MyQuit services are available to residents living in Eastern Ontario. Visit the About MyQuit section of the website to learn more.
You can decide whether or not the MyQuit program is right for you and you can remove yourself from the program at any time by contacting the MyQuit partner that is providing service to you.
Your personal health information
Personal health information is information that is specifically about you and your health, like your name, date of birth, health issues, health history, treatments and more. You may be asked to provide some of this information online (if you are registering for the program through the MyQuit website), or over the phone by a MyQuit partner to assess your needs and register you for a smoking cessation service that best meets your needs. Your name and contact information is entered into an online (web-based) scheduler that uses firewall protection and strong encryption to ensure your personal information is secure. The online scheduler is administered by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and serviced by Inkline Media.
Once you are booked into a service, any personal health information is securely transferred to a smoking cessation database that is administered by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and serviced by TelASK Technologies. The information in the smoking cessation database is encrypted, which means it is changed to computer code to make it hard for others to steal and read. TelASK Technologies is responsible for operating the smoking cessation database and must follow specific privacy laws.
The personal health information we collect helps us offer you the most appropriate services to meet your needs. Only those who are involved in providing these services to you can see your personal health information. Your information is not shared with anyone who is not involved in providing these services. Your personal health information is erased from the smoking cessation database after 28 years.
How the MyQuit program protects your privacy
The MyQuit program takes steps to keep your personal health information safe.
All of the health organizations that are partnered in the MyQuit program must agree to privacy terms that are consistent with this Privacy Statement. They must also agree to only use your personal health information for the purpose of delivering quit smoking services. They cannot use your personal health information for any other reason.
MyQuit partners will:
- Make sure that only those who are caring for you can see your personal health information.
- Give privacy training to their employees.
- Randomly check to make sure that their employees are following privacy requirements outlined when they use the smoking cessation database.
Please contact the MyQuit partner that is providing service to you if you have concerns that your personal health information is being viewed without your permission.
How the MyQuit program uses de-identified information
De-identification means that the details about you, like your name and date of birth, are left out of information or data. The goal of de-identification is to make it so that even someone who knows you probably would not know that the information is about you. MyQuit partners use only de-identified information when reporting about the program to its partners and funders, or when presenting about the MyQuit program.
How to request to view or correct your personal health information
You can access or make corrections to your personal health information stored in the smoking cessation database at any time by contacting the MyQuit partner that is providing service to you.
Contact Information
If you have any other questions or concerns, you can email us at myquit@ottawaheart.ca or call 613-696-7000 ext.18054.
